Delas Frères St. Joseph François de Tournon
Rhône, France
Vintage:2020 (Current)
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Reviews
Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
“The 2020 Saint Joseph François De Tournon is on another level, with gorgeous intensity in its red and black fruits, smoky, meaty, sweaty saddle leathery nuances, obvious minerality, and beautiful finish. This complex, nuanced Saint Joseph picks up more violet and granite-like minerality with time in the glass and shines on all accounts. It's the finest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted, and this should be snatched up by savvy readers. It would easily pass undetected in a lineup of top Hermitage. ”
Owen Bargreen 93 Points
“The 2020 Delas Saint-Joseph "Francois de Tournon" is a blend of grapes from the terroirs of Vion, Saint-Jean de Muzols, Mauves and Tournon. Iron, bulls blood and iodine flavors combine with tart black raspberry and black cherry notes on the palate, with pencil lead undercurrents. Neatly textured, enjoy now and over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2039.”
View From the Cellar 92+ Points
“Delas Frères’ François de Tournon bottling of Saint-Joseph comes from terraced vineyards in the heart of the appellation when it was first established in 1969, from the villages of Tournon, Mauves, Vion and Saint-Jean de Muzols. These lie just across the river from the hill of Hermitage. The wine undergoes its malolactic fermentation in casks and is raised in a combination of Burgundy barrels, ranging from one to three years of age, as well as a portion of the cuvée being raised in foudres. The 2020 François de Tournon comes in at 14.5 percent alcohol in this vintage and the bouquet delivers a deep and black fruity blend of cassis, black raspberries, espresso, pepper, grilled meats, coffee bean, stony soil tones and spicy oak. On the palate the wine is fullbodied, chewy and shows lovely mid-palate depth, with a fine base of soil, lovely focus and grip, firm, well-integrated tannins and a long, nascently complex and well-balanced finish. This is more ambitiously handled in the cellars than the Sainte-Épine bottling, but I am not sure if I do not like the more classical treatment of the Sainte-Épine. They are both excellent bottles of young Saint- Joseph and perhaps with sufficient bottle age, the François de Tournon cuvée will end up a bit more impressive, but my heart is drawn to the more classically-raised bottling. 2032-2060.”
Wine Spectator 92 Points
“This throws off some lovely floral and incense notes, backed by a sleek and pure core of cassis and mulberry fruit. Shows a subtle mineral underpinning through the focused finish. Drink now through 2030.”
Vinous Media 94-95 Points
“Opaque magenta. Mineral- and smoke-accented dark berry, candied licorice, bacon fat and floral aromas show outstanding clarity and spicy lift. Densely packed, appealingly sweet cherry, blueberry and spicecake flavors are braced by an undercurrent of smoky minerality. Shows a suave floral note on the impressively persistent finish, which is shaped by smooth, well-judged tannins.”
Overview
The ancient vineyards of Saint-Joseph, planted almost exclusively with Syrah, cover more than 600 acres on the right bank of the Rhône river. The vineyard stretches from Chavanay in the north, to Guilherand in the south – it covers 23 "communes" in the Ardèche region, and three in the Loire. The grapes are planted in terraces on the rocky granite hillsides, where Delas selects only the best grapes for this cuvée. The "Francois de Tournon" is a blend of grapes from the terroirs of Vion, Saint-Jean de Muzols, Mauves and Tournon.
Exposure is south and south-east and the soils consist of light schist and gneiss over a granite bedrock. The climate is moderately continental, with hot and dry summers, and normal rainfall the rest of the year. The wine was reputed in the 16th century for its delicacy, and was poured at the table of the kings of France. It was the Jesuits (a monk community) of Tournon who gave the area its current name, in the 17th century. Between 1956 and 1969, all the vineyards from this area which used to be named Côtes du Rhône were regrouped and established under the appellation Saint-Joseph.
Winemaking
The grapes for this cuvée are picked by hand at optimum ripeness. Fermentation is traditional in open-topped concrete tanks, and is preceded by two days of cold maceration. It is conducted at controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days. The total vatting time lasts up to 20 days. After drawing-off and pressing, malolactic fermentation takes place in oak barrels. The wine is matured between 10 to 14 months in oak barrels of one to three years of age. Part of the cuvée is aged in vats to preserve the freshness of the fruit.
Tasting Notes
The color is a deep, dark ruby red with a garnet reflection. The nose is clearly marked by delicate aromas of cassis and spices. On the palate, this cuvée shows a smooth and voluptuous texture that masks a good tannic structure, fine and silky. this wine has great potential for aging.
Food Pairing
This wine pairs well with fine meats, spicy stews, grilled meats, game and any kind of cheese.
Technical Information
Varietals: 100% Syrah